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Exploring options: Adding golden to our family

2K views 33 replies 17 participants last post by  mylissyk 
#1 ·
I posted recently about the sudden loss of our Maddie golden girl to hemangiosarcoma. This is the first time in 25 years that there is no golden thunder-tail around the house. Needless to say, I intend to remedy this situation.
I have been inquiring with breeders, and reading very informative posts around here.

At first, I only thought of a puppy as a possibility, but a friend encouraged me to look into rescue as well.

Would it be possible to find a rescue golden who would fit into our particular family situation?

My mother lives with us and has some special needs. She has osteoporosis and can break bones easily. She adores dogs, goldens in particular. We need a calm, easy-going dog that could go for walks with her, without bolting or pulling, and be her daily companion. The rest of us, husband and young adult kids, will be around after work/school, and on the weekends.

My first inclination was to think that to get the right temperament, we would have to get a puppy and train it.

Your insights are very much appreciated.
 
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#3 ·
Would it be possible to find a rescue golden who would fit into our particular family situation?

My mother lives with us and has some special needs. She has osteoporosis and can break bones easily. She adores dogs, goldens in particular. We need a calm, easy-going dog that could go for walks with her, without bolting or pulling, and be her daily companion. The rest of us, husband and young adult kids, will be around after work/school, and on the weekends.
Yes, there are rescue dogs with calm loving mellow temperaments.

Get some applications filled out and approved with rescues in your area so you are prepared when the right dog comes along for you :)

Don't know how you feel about adopting a senior, but one sounds perfect for your situation. Good luck!
 
#5 ·
Like goldencamper said I think a senior sounds perfect for you. The one advantage of getting an adult dog instead of a puppy is that you know what you're getting. Even if you get a great puppy from the best breeder you still have to go through the training time when the pup will have to learn not to pull on the leash. I would also be worried about once the puppy gets a little bigger it could jump up on your mom before it has learned not to. An adult or senior rescue would be great because you could see how it walks on a leash and how it acts around your mom before you adopted it. I think a senior dog would be wonderful for your mom. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
#6 ·
I completely agree with the adult or senior golden rescue thought. I took care of mother during her declining years and finally had to ask her friends not to bring over their puppies and small dogs....my mother was a huge lover of animals of all sizes and varieties and encouraged her friends and family to bring the dogs, too. The little ones, especially the puppies were real trip hazards and she was quite frail.

She actually used my senior goldens to lean on when she was feeling unsteady.
 
#8 ·
One of our techs' mothers adopted an aged poodle from one of our clients when she went into a nursing home. The poodle had kidney insufficiency at the time. The new owners only requirement was that the dog was continent. The dog was great with the grand kids and lived maybe another seven months when her kidneys got the better of her. Anyway our techs' mom decided that older dogs were her calling.. As long as they were continent. A vet friend in another state knew of a mine year old golden needing a home. I let this woman know and Maxine became hers...she is great with the grand kids, great with my co owned pup who lives with my tech, great in the house, and I can testify, great at the vets. The benefit is that she isn't hyper and crazy like a puppy might be. If you are patient, the right dog is out there for you..
 
#10 ·
What about contacting reputable breeders that have dogs that didn't work out for their breeding program. This could mean that they didn't fit the standard structurally or are missing teeth. It could also mean it's a little older female that isn't breeding any longer, etc. I think you might need a dog that is older and will not jump. A rescue dog coming from a known home where the family surrendered it for known circumstances would also be a good fit, I believe.
 
#12 ·
Another option is to get on a waiting list for a dog who "fails out of" service dog training (for the blind, deaf, etc). These are generally really well trained, calm dogs, who just might have been scared of loud noises, or unable to discern between traffic lights, etc. As I understand it, wait lists can be long, but the wait is worth it.
 
#17 ·
I placed us on the Northern California Canine Companion reject list. I knew about them because my neighbor has one. However, the staff person told me they have hundreds of people on the waiting list and few rejects. Sigh
Oh, wow. That would be a LONG wait. Sorry to hear that. Good luck with the breeder route. There seem to be a couple of lovely Labs looking for a home right in this very thread... ;)
 
#15 ·
If you know of a breeder who has a retired adult dog to place or a young dog, who maybe didn't make the cut, please let me know.

I started looking for breeders who listed adult dogs for sale, and boy did I get sticker shock. I found a breeder in So.Cal. that was selling a trained dog for $15,000. Several others had dogs for $4,500, $3,500. Yikes.
 
#19 ·
Well every sugestion I had has already been made so I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help. But it's definitely worth the wait for the right dog. I lost my mom this past April of 2011'.

She was 89 yrs old and quite frail but loved dogs and I can't express the difference it made for her when I visited with Woody my 3 yr old golden rescue. The bond between the two of them was instantaneous. I can still see her hugging Woody. I was very lucky as most dogs this age can be unpredictable but even though Woody can be a crazy dog when ever he got around my mom he was very gentle.

That being said I'd still urge you into looking for a senior rescue. I would have never let my mom try and walk Woody on a lead anywhere. But with a senior rescue this might be a possibility and that would be great everyone, your family, your mom and the dog!

Some pictures...

Pictured with Woody & my brothers setter Neman



My mom & Woody....



Good luck with your search.

Pete
 
#23 ·
Well, I have contacted all the California reputable breeders I found listed in the forum, inquiring about adult dogs which may need placement. They were so kind, it was really great. People that love goldens the way we do. They understand the void you feel when there is no golden walk, no golden lapdog, no golden laying his head on your lap for pets, no golden kisses, no slobbery balls...hehe

Now, we wait.
 
#24 ·
I am beyond words thrilled, we adopted a 7 year old golden, named Sadie. Her human father passed away suddenly. Her human mother has dementia and can't care for her.

She is lovely and mellow. We have some work to do regarding leash aggression, and she seems to only know sit. Now to find a trainer...

 
#29 ·
I am beyond words thrilled, we adopted a 7 year old golden, named Sadie. Her human father passed away suddenly. Her human mother has dementia and can't care for her.

She is lovely and mellow. We have some work to do regarding leash aggression, and she seems to only know sit. Now to find a trainer...

Oh, she's lovely looking!! I'm so happy you found each other. She sounds like a great addition. I'm sure she'll love to live and learn with you.
 
#27 ·
Sadie looks to be a real sweetheart!!! I'm glad you were able to find a dog so quickly. I'm sure you'll have her trained in no time at all.

Pete
 
#28 ·
Hurrah, YEA!!! Clapping my hands...YOU FOUND HER! Just so happy to hear this and know this was ment to happen. You must promise to keep us up on her progress but she is beautiful and has such a wonderful face. I am so sorry to hear of her owners passing and her Mommie in no shape to care for her, again this was ment to be.

Very happy for you! Now want lots of pictures.
 
#31 ·
I am so sorry to hear of her owners passing and her Mommie in no shape to care for her, again this was ment to be.
You are absolutely right. As we walked in the door of her foster home, she greeted DH and followed him. As he took a seat, she put her head on his lap, looked up at him, as if saying...what took you so long...

There was an immediate connection. Her foster mom was so surprised. She said Sadie had been withdrawn. We get there and it's as if she was waiting for us. Her thunder-tail was going. She brought us many toys. She was showing off...hehe. To paraphrase Jerry McGuire, she had us at Hello!
 
#30 ·
Congratulations, Sadie is beautiful.

When I adopted my Remy last year from my County Humane Society, he had leash issues but I was able to resolve that rather quickly. I bought a Gentle Leader Harness and worked with him using it for a few weeks. Now he walks great on a leash using his collar or the harness.

Best of luck to you and enjoy your pretty girl.
 
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